Orbit Fab will build a fuel station in space!

Since the beginning of the space age with the launch of Sputnik I in 1957, humans have sent more than 15,000 satellites into orbit. Just over half of them are still functioning; the rest have either burned up in the atmosphere after running out of fuel and reaching the end of their service life, or they continue to orbit the planet as useless piles of metal.

They therefore pose a threat to the International Space Station and other satellites. Orbit Fab, a startup developing refueling services in space, announced on December 11 that it plans to work with lunar exploration company Ispace on propellant collection and distribution.

PLANS TO BUILD A FUEL STATION IN SPACE Orbit Fab plans to establish a fueling station in space, providing hydrazine for the US Space Force Tetra-5 spacecraft. Daniel Faber, founder and CEO of Orbit Fab, told SpaceNews, "We are looking forward to the upcoming landing missions from Space. We want to work with them to effectively build an end-to-end propellant supply chain in orbit and on the Moon."

In the long term, Orbit Fab will refuel Ispace's lunar landers and Ispace will help Orbit Fab obtain propellant for its fuel shuttles and depots, Faber said. Hakamada said in a statement that working with Orbit Fab is a step towards realizing Ispace's long-term goal of lunar development and creating a cislunar economy. For HAKUTO-R Mission 2, which is scheduled to be launched by Ispace Japan in 2024, Faber said, "We will lift it off the Earth. This is the supply chain we can build immediately. But in the longer term, we see the potential for space-based resources to create a thriving space economy."